The Triple Goddess
The Triple Goddess is "God" of the Merlin universe. Before Merlin was conceived, she instilled magic in him for the purpose of protecting Arthur so that he could bring about Albion. The High Priestesses of the Old Religion are the main servants of the Triple Goddess. This deity was first mentioned by Alator of the Catha in the episode "The Secret Sharer", when he called Morgana "High Priestess of the Triple Goddess, and last of your kind". The Disir, three soothsayers trained from birth to interpret the will of the gods, were the very mouthpiece of the Triple Goddess. According to them, the Goddess presides over all, sees all and knows all. Because Arthur Pendragon had denied the Old Religion, dismissed its faith and persecuted its followers, even onto slaughter, She had been angered by him. The only way for him to avoid Camelot's destruction and the death of everyone he held dear was to embrace the Old Ways and bow to the Goddess. However, Arthur decided not to accept magic back into Camelot, so the Disir made sure Mordred, the ultimate cause of his death, lived (The Disir). The Triple Goddess was also mentioned as the White Goddess of the Cauldron of Arianrhod, whose waters could free the soul of someone who had been broken by the "Teine Diaga", the "sacred fire", an ancient ritual of the Old Religion which used the mandrake root to bring unimaginable terror to the victim. The waters of the Cauldron held the Goddess' powers and only their touch could heal who had been bound with dark magic by the Silver Wheel forever. Merlin, disguised with an ageing spell as the old sorceress Dolma, used all his powers to summon the White Goddess with the spell "Yfel gæst ga þu fram þisse lichaman. Biþ hire mod eft freo. Ar ond heofontungol sceal þurhswiþan" and cleanse Guinevere from Morgana's magic (With All My Heart). The Triple Goddess was also mentioned in the episode The Diamond of the Day: Part One when Gaius told Merlin that the Gean Canach had been forged by the tears of the Earth Mother Nemaine. Powers and Abilities *'Immortality/invincibility' - Being "God" of the Merlin universe, she is eternal and like any spirit cannot by any means be hurt or injured. *'Omnipotence' - She has unlimited power and and as a spirit can do anything she wants. *'Omniscience' - Being a God, the Triple Goddess knows all and everything there is to know. *'Omnipresence' - The Triple Goddess sees all and everything that happens in the Merlin universe. Trivia *The Triple Goddess is affiliated to to the Moon, and in modern Wicca/Paganism the three facets of the Triple Goddess represent Maiden, Mother , & Crone. The three stages of womanhood. It is she who awakens the Sun God / Horned God at Imbolc (Springtime) ready to become impregnated with his seed for Summertime and finally at Sahwain (Halloween) the two 'die ' together. Ready to be reborn after the Dark Time (Winter) and begin the wheel of life once more. In the 'mundane world' The Crone is highly respected as it is she who has gleaned all the medical knowledge, herbalism, is keeper of Aural records, etc . I think it is possible that as Merlin was born of a Dragon Lord and Gifted Maiden, theoretically you could say as the Triple Goddess gives rise to Spring and life she did give Merlin his powers as his destiny was or written before time remembering. Wicca,is a pathway of Paganism, Paganism is a Nature Based belief. Many different pathways make up Pagansim, Druidry, Heathenry,(Norse FolkLore) Gardernerism etc it's one of the oldest belief systems in the British Isles with links to most of the Celtic beliefs and tribes. It is now generally believed that Paganism predates the Romans, but forced many Pagans to absorb the Church's' beliefs. Our Sabbatts are mixed today with that of the Christian Calendar, only we call them by their by their proper name!!! is considerable debate as to whether she or a similar divinity was worshipped in pre-Roman Britain. *The Dochraid told Emrys that Gwen's spirit had been bound by the Silver Wheel for all eternity (With All My Heart); the Mother Goddess herself is believed to be the shining Wheel of Radiance. *The symbol of the Triple Goddess is also a symbol of the Greek goddesses Artemis, Selene and Hecate. fr:Triple Déesse Category:Old Religion Category:Magic Category:Goddesses Category:Immortals Category:Invincibles